The Filtered Excellence: April 25, 2013
Bob Geldof once asked us, “Where is the filtered excellence!?” It’s right here. Here are this weeks picks of what to WATCH, what to DO what to TRY what to READ what to LISTEN TO and more:
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WATCH THIS:
Mud starring Matthew McConaughey, Sam Shepherd & Reese Witherspoon. This action-thriller from writer-director Jeff Nichols – which caused quite a stir at this year’s Cannes Film Festival – rolls out this weekend in theaters. Two teenage boys (Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lolland) find a man who calls himself Mud (McConaughey) hiding out on a Mississippi island. Mud tells the boys that he killed a man in Texas and bounty hunters are out to get him. He also says he’s biding his time until he can meet up and escape with the love of his life, Juniper (Reese Witherspoon). The boys agree to help, but are skeptical. But when the girl and the bounty hunters show up – with different takes on who Mud really is – a dark pall is cast upon this small, rural town. As the title character, McConaughey continues his career resurgence (Killer Joe, Bernie, Magic Mike and The Lincoln Lawyer) as a likeable rouge on the run and Witherspoon seems to be having fun as the girl who isn’t quite all that she seems. Sheridan and Lolland are excellent as boys who get a rude introduction to the adult world. Sam Shepherd and Michael Shannon are also in fine form in supporting roles. It’s a nice change of pace just ahead of the onslaught of CGI movies that are about to roll out. Mud opens on Friday.
Sun Don’t Shine. Impressive performances have been reported from screenings at SXSW and various film fests. Through suburbia, mangroves and trailer parks, Sun Don’t Shine promises to be a tense and suspenseful ride through a lonely stretch of Central Florida. (You know, Florida, the home of every batshit tale…) Written and directed by actress/filmmaker Amy Seimetz (Tiny Furniture, Upstream Color and Pit Stop), and filmed in her hometown of St. Petersburg FLA, Sun Don’t Shine, follows Crystal and her boyfriend Leo on a puzzling mystery of a roadtrip of unknown purpose and destination. An eerie disturbing mood hangs heavy in the humidity, intensified as the story of Crystal’s murky past unfolds on this journey, on the run in Central Florida. Opens Friday, April 26th
The NBA Championship Playoffs Continue. First round action is still happening. And this weekend, all the top seeds go on the road. Games 3 and 4 in each series will be played starting Thursday and going through the weekend to Monday. The NBA playoffs can be seen on ESPN, TNT, ABC, and NBA TV.
Inside Amy Schumer. It’s the long-awaited premiere of “Inside Amy Schumer” on Comedy Central. It’s sketch comedy, stand up, interviews, and woman on the street segments all brought to you by the hilarious and sexy Amy Schumer. “Inside Amy Schumer” debuts Tuesday, April 30th at 10:30pm Eastern on Comedy Central.
- See what Amy Schumer had to say about her new show when she was a guest on Unmasked
- Find out more about “Inside Amy Schumer” at comedycentral.com
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LISTEN TO THIS:
Gary Clark, Jr – The Itunes Session. This blistering nine song set – cut live exclusively for Itunes – captures the Texas six string zorro in his best element: on stage. Stripped away of the studio sheen, tracks like ‘Bright Lights’, ‘When My Train Pulls In’ and ‘Numb’ gives Clark a chance to stretch out and show why he’s the most promising guitarist in any genre. Also included is a tasty cover of the Albert King classic ‘Oh Pretty Woman’. For those who are fans, this is a nice addition. For those who aren’t familiar, this set will make you one. The Itunes Session is available now exclusively through, well, Itunes!
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READ THIS:
The Doors Unhinged by John Densmore. When The Doors got together back in 1965, they all agreed that they would never do anything as a band, that all four of them didn’t agree on. After Morrison died disagreements arose between the surviving members about uses of the band’s name and songs. When drummer John Densmore refused to allow their songs to be used for commercials, his former bandmates sued him, and what followed during the trial is almost hard to believe. Densmore was accused, among other things, of being anti American for not wanting to make more money, and even asked if he had funded Al-Queda. Densmore’s experiences are all detailed in the book. It’s a great read for Doors fans, or anyone interested in the legal process in America.
Hopper: A Journey Into the American Dream, by Tom Folsom. Tom Folson takes a wild ride on the American Highway chasing the bad times and great art of the iconic actor, Dennis Hopper. Even Hoppers biggest fans may be surprised at Hopper’s descent into drugs insanity and his return to stardom. Too strange to be fiction.
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DO THIS:
New York City: Friedkin 70s at BAM Cinematek. The long and distinguished career of William Friedkin will be the focus of a five day, six film retrospective. The series will open with Sorcerer, his much-maligned 1977 thriller starring Roy Scheider, which has with time, is considered a classic. Also included: The Boys In The Band, the first American motion picture to center around gay culture; the painfully underrated The Brink’s Job starring Peter Falk, Peter Boyle and Warren Oates; and the still controversial Cruisin starring Al Pacino. Then there’s, of course, the two films that cemented Friedkin’s place as one of America’s greatest filmmakers: the Academy Award winning films The French Connection and The Exorcist. Friedkin will be doing a post screening Q&A on May 2nd after the screening of Sorcerer. Friedkin 70s will be The Brooklyn Academy Of Music from May 2nd through the 7th.
New York City: The PEN World Voices Festival. This critically acclaimed festival brings a range of authors from around the world. Noted speakers scheduled to appear include Fran Lebowitz, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, former Harper’s editor Lewis Lapham, Native American author Joy Harjo among many others. A great chance to get up close and personal with some of the finest in literature. The PEN World Voices Festival runs April 29th through May 5th.
Brooklyn, New York: Trixie Whitley. Singer-Songwriter Trixie Whitley will be performing music from her debut album “Fourth Corner” which is now available. Trixie will playing live at Glasslands Gallery in Brooklyn, NY Friday night, April 26th at 8:30pm. This is a 21 and older show and tickets are still available. Glasslands is located at 289 Kent Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11249
- For more information, and to get tickets go to thegrasslands.com
